Improvement in bill-files



J. BELL. Bill-11116.

No. 219,062. Patented sept. 2, 1879.

Fuero-mummy UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JAMES BELL, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

r IMPROVEMENT IN BILL-FILES.

Speeication forming part of Letters Patent No. 219,062, dated September2, 1879; application filed January 31, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES BELL, of Washington, in the District ofColumbia, have invented certain Improvements in Bill or Document Filesor Holders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference bein g had to the accompanying drawings, makingpart of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view ofmy improved file or holder in an open position ready for the receptionof bills, deeds, and other papers to be filed therein. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the file or holder when closed down upon itscontents to retain them compactly therein. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalvertical section through the center of the same, the

Vcontents being removed. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on theline .r :v of Fig. 3.

To provide a file or receptacle in which bills, deeds, certificates,maps, or various other documents may be conveniently and compactly kept,and in which ready access may be had to any individual paper withoutdisturbing or removing the entire contents, is the object of my presentinvention, which consists in a pair of leaves or covers united by twopairs of crossbars pivoted together at or near their centers, two endsof the cross-bars on each side being rigidly secured to the two covers,and the other ends of the bars being free to slide in slots therein oronguides thereon, by which construction the le may be instantly opened orclosed by simply drawing apart or pressing together the covers, whichwill then remain in any desired position after adjustment, thecross-bars also serving as sides to thele or receptacle, by which itscontents are prevented from moving laterally out of place, and myinvention also consists in so closing one end of the lile as to afford asuitableplace for attaching thereto a label or memorandum indicating itscontents, the above-described le being inexpensive, of simpleconstruct-ion,convenient to use, light, and durable.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention,I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A A represent the two leaves or covers of thefile, each cover being being rigidly secured to the ends of a rod orWire, '11, extending transversely through the space c at this end of thele, and held immovably in place therein, while the outer ends of eachpair of cross-bars are secured to the ends of another rod or wire, k,which passes transversely through the space c in the le where the slot dis formed.

C is a strip or band of non-elastic material, which passes into thespace within each cover, and has secured to each of its ends a shortelastic strip or webbing, l, which has its outer end fastened around therod 7c, which ypasses through the slotted end of the file, the middleportion of the band G serving to close one of its ends, and affording aconvenient place to attach a label or memorandum, m, indicating thecontents of the `file, as represented by the words and figures Alachua lto 100).

It will be seen from the foregoing construction that the rods Ic at theouter ends of the iile are free to move in the slots, d, formed therein,and when the le is opened, by drawing the covers apart the desireddistance, it is retained permanently in this position by the resiliencyof the elastic band, which thus produces the friction necessary for thispurpose, the slack of the band O being also taken up by the elasticityof the connection as soon as the le commences to be closed.

If desired, the covers may be made of sheet metal, and their inner endsturned over to form the back of the lile, on which to attach a label ormemorandum describing the contents.

It is evident that my improved file is simple, compact, light, durable,and convenient to handle, and of a form which particularly adapts it tothe ordinary rectangular pigeonholes or recesses found in the variousdepartments of Government oflices.

geflunoee @What -IlYclailn as myfin'vention,and-desire etosecurebyLetters Patent, is-

l. The covers A A, united by twopairs of cross-bars, B B, pivotedtogether,l andhaving their outer ends connected by rods or Wires 7c,sliding freely in slots d,and their inner ends connected by rods'z',rigidly secured' to the covers,or vice versa, when constructed tooperate substantiallyin the manner and for I.the purjfpose set forth.

f 2. The combination of the elastic connectingband G Z, the covers A A,and two pairs of pivoted eross-bars, B B, connected therewith andoperating in respect thereto as described, substantially as and for thepurpose speoied.

Witness my Vhandthis 31st day of January,

